Tofer

Just be thankful you don't drive around the jungle areas of Th or the backward islands like ours.

My wife told me the story of a jungle resident who drove to town, stopped by police and asked for his bi kab kee (licence), he replied what's that. They asked him why he didn't stop at the traffic lights - what's those he replied, police pointing at the lights the driver responded - oh I thought they were for the aeroplanes!!!

As for the islands, I've literally just sat and watched a neighbor pull up in their new Honda Civic, woman gets out of the passenger seat, then their (approx) 13/14 year old Son gets out of the drivers seat. I'm guessing they'd just been to the mosque and it was a case of 'in sha allah'..... My wife had to restrain me from screaming abuse at them.

I'm just waiting for the day one of these infants on motorbikes and now in cars involves us in an accident, and more to the point what the police will do about it.

My advice - leave 15 mins earlier for a 1 hour journey, relax and enjoy the scenery, drive defensively and stay alive!

Have a sing song while you wait - "tiiiime is on my side, yes it is"...........

Thanks for your advice. I ended up googling the question and got some rather over descriptive reports. However it did identify the massage venues around Talad area and the 'VIP' (?) in Chongkasem soi 14, but they all appeared extremely seedy, and I didn't fancy getting eaten alive by the inhabitants of the mattresses.

The Day & Night and the Crossroads restaurant / bars (along the 401) were quite pleasant with live music later on.

It's very much a Thai city, catering for Thais, and tough luck for the tourists transiting the port.

I'm in Surat Thani for a few days business and wondered if anybody could please advise where expats hang out, bars, massage, live music venues etc. I'm mobile so no restrictions on area. Thanks.

When did this alcohol ban come in? Last time we travelled from BKK to Trang, about 4 years ago there was no such ban.

We travelled second class for the fun & social aspect, as we'd done it before. You have a reasonably comfy seat each and table between you, which gets converted to a double bunk, when you are ready and call the attendant to make up your bed, clean sheets and pillows, curtains for privacy. Drinks are ordered & served at your table, cold ones, as is the food from a menu, not fantastic but edible. In the morning the attendant puts your beds away when you're ready and a breakfast menu is presented at your table.

It left on time but I cannot recall if it arrived on time, didn't matter to us.

My only negative comment is that the trains had deteriorated somewhat since our previous journey. The bathroom facilities are very basic also.

5 hours ago, blackcab said:

"The land office insisted I was 'recognised' as the financier of the land, with a very derogatory remark that they wanted to know she'd not stolen the money from me!"

 

Actually, the document you signed says completely the opposite, namely that you acknowledge that you have zero financial interest in the land and that the land is solely the property of your wife, and that the land was purchased soley from her own funds.

 

This document is standard for almost all land purchases where the spouse is a non-Thai as it satisfies the criteria that non-Thais cannot own land.

 

I've signed a few of these for my wife in the past.

Thanks. I understood that bit at the time but they still insisted I submit a signed copy of my passport and he scribbled something in the file. I didn't understand why, or the derogatory remark, as I had already signed to acknowledge my wife's outright ownership. It's usually farang condo / villa salesmen who offend with such comments advising how I can protect myself from my wife. 

What they didn't realise was that it was our money, not mine, she worked just as hard side by side with me to build up and manage our property portfolio in UK, alongside looking after me like a prince. She owns half of everything by rights and by law in UK.

As Happy Larry says, just need to get a usufruct to ensure the family doesn't move in should anything happen to my wife, and a will. 

There must be thousands of Asian ladies in Oz that would save you all the hassle of relocating one from Thailand.

I met my wife in Thailand by chance not by design, she lived with me in UK for 22 years and everywhere we moved to she found a circle of Thai girlfriends faster and bigger than I ever managed to find friends. Not a few had been dumped by some d..k head lowlife who dragged them home under false pretences, and they were keen to find a new partner. I can't imagine Oz would be a great deal different. 

Unless you you want a good holiday into the bargain, I suggest you stay home and keep your eyes open.

Why in particular are you looking for a Thai wife, what is it that you are expecting from her that you cannot attain in a relationship with any other nationality, even Australian?

A year ago the pound was 55 baht. 55 - 43 is a disaster in my opinion, and all thanks to the Brexit issue. The financial markets do not like uncertainty, and that's where it all started.

10 hours ago, Displaynameinusebyanotherm said:

Before they cut him out of the steal/wreckage he could have been cut loose out of seatbelt long before or opened it himself. I stick to my point: saved by seatbelt...

So the roof that was crushed down to dashboard level would not have hurt him if pinned upright in his seat. 

No wonder he crashed if he couldn't see over the dashboard!

21 hours ago, Displaynameinusebyanotherm said:

Yes...

The car was on it's roof and he was pulled out of the left hand side, i.e. Passenger side. I'm guessing he rolled over into the passenger seat because he was not wearing a seat belt, this probably saved his life as he would have no doubt broken his neck had he been pinned upright into his seat by a seat belt.

Similar thing happened to me and because it was such a short journey I didn't put my seat belt on. The car rolled onto it's roof and I toppled over into the passenger seat. The car stopped against a tree stump which came through the windscreen on the drivers side and would have crushed my skull had I been strapped in.

Somebody must have been watching over me as I normally always wear a seatbelt. The police recovery truck driver was looking for my halo also!

10 hours ago, geriatrickid said:

You find this amusing? The unpaid medical costs means that Thais are denied medical care and it means that foreigners seeking emergency medical care are subject lengthy delays before they can access top care as paperwork is verified.

 

This issue has been discussed multiple times on TVF and dates back to 2011 when the  multi million dollar costs were  exposed. The Scandanavian news profiled the costs back for 2016

http://scandasia.com/uninsured-foreigners-burdens-thai-public-hospitals/

 

Hospitals in Phuket provide an illustration of the  extent of the problem; Vachira Hospital  began to account for the losses in 2008, has a total outstanding balance on 19.827.858 baht concerning a total of 189 foreign patients. In 2015 the loss counted 3.837.583 baht.  Dr. Bancha Kakong, Director of the Phuket Provincial Health Office, stated that the expenses are approximately 10 million baht a year for the Public Hospitals in Phuket. He also claimed that Patong Hospital had an outstanding balance of around 2-3 million baht each year. At The Banglamoong Hospital in Pattaya they had a loss of 1.918.790 baht in 2015 from unpaid bills by foreigners. 

 

This is nothing new. The Pattaya Daily news in 2011 reported that the deadbeats are mostly European men who didn’t take out health  insurance. They renew their visas every year and have no savings.” Some of them produced fake financial statements to have their visas renewed.

Divide that by 4, to get the true cost of services that a Thai would pay, and we're down to around B5m, divide that by 19 years (since 2008) and it's a whopping B260k (£6,000), hardly earth shattering.... 

They'll get that back on the next major operation on a farang!

14 hours ago, wakeupplease said:

Lies, Corruption, Laziness Untrustworthy, Deception, Murder, Propaganda, Uneducated.

 

Are just a few words that spring to mind when I think of a country, that so many have said on here think they are so safe in. I for many years thought I was safe and loved every minute of living there until one day a knock at the door started a nightmare I will never forget or forgive.

 

Its so bad even the locals do runners, just like that one who got his police family and an attorney to try and scam me, it backed fired on him and he lost the plot beat the crap out of his wife (She Deserved it as a right con artist) then did a runner to avoid either death or jail.

 

One thing is for sure you cannot no longer trust anything here and risk your life if you visit.

 

If you think this report is bad, there is another on its way much worse so I am told.

 

Big shame as it could be one of the most beautiful country's in the world, but now I would rather live in a war zone than there as it run by criminals

'You risk your life if you visit' - Rather over dramatic me thinks.

I've been subjected to Thai police extortion on 2 occasions over my 37 years visiting and residing here, including a night in a cell, for me and my Thai wife, to strengthen their hand.

Both totally unjustified I hasten to add, a complete misuse / disregard for the law, but hardly a risk of losing a life.

On 9 June 2017 at 11:46 AM, Displaynameinusebyanotherm said:

It's called a seatbelt in most parts of the world...

Really, would you want to be tied into that mess?

19 minutes ago, uchibenkei said:

I've never felt to be in danger here, same with the Philippines, but I stay away from the Muslim south areas in both countries.

I visited Zamboanga, Southern Philippines the day after the Mayor was murdered in 1983 (ish), only heard about it on the flight enroute. The GF went to a rally in her yellow shirt the first evening, suffice to say I didn't accompany her. Still didn't feel uneasy the whole 4 days.

Yes there are bombing incidents in relation the Muslim protests, predominantly in the South, but I doubt there is a place anywhere in the world that is exempt from that danger these days. I don't believe Thailand is any more dangerous because of it.

55 minutes ago, Dazinoz said:

Well there goes my thoughts on moving to the Philippines.

I lived and worked in the PH for a year without incident. Got to keep your wits about you though. 

The worst thing is the begging and congestion in Manila.

Roads are no more dangerous than Thailand, but certainly as bad including the drivers. 

Their local cuisine is far less interesting than Thai.

Transportation infrastructure is inferior to Thailand.

The decent law abiding citizens are very friendly and helpful.

Finally as a western expat you are held in high esteem and respected, the complete opposite to Thailand. 

6 hours ago, wakeupplease said:

Either way you look at it you know its right, a tourist nightmare place to visit

I don't which way you are looking at it, but from a 'tourist' perspective it is still an easy destination.

Relatively cheap.

Easy Visas & visa free entry for some.

Good & cheap transportation / taxi services (with certain exceptions, e.g. Phuket)

Abundance of accommodation and eatery choices / prices.

Thailand is one of the easiest countries I've ever visited on holiday with a choice of family, natural, cultural and sexpest venues to please all tastes.

Bangkok is one of the safest and most relaxed cities I've ever visited.

Keep your eyes open and engage brain / common sense and there should be little to be concerned about.

I'm not really able to give detailed advice, but what about trying for a student visa for  a language course.

You don't give any clues about your circumstances, age etc. If I had my time again I'd buy some wheels and take off around the whole country / region and explore. 

I lived in Phuket for 6 years, first year in Patong and 5 in Nai Harn which was far more peaceful. But that was nearly 30 years ago. I prefer somewhere a bit quieter now and chose Krabi. 

My opinions of Phuket now are not complimentary,  but everyone is different, so try it for the 6-12 months and make your own mind up.

On 6 June 2017 at 11:37 PM, skorts said:

The determination of UK Residency if you spend more than 183 days outside of the UK is not straightforward. As well as the Automatic Overseas and Automatic UK Tests there are the Sufficient Ties Tests. HMRC have a 104 page manual covering this, including decision trees to help you determine your Residency Status - they are pretty easy to use and a good starting point. If you do not meet the Automatic Overseas or Automatic UK Tests then the number of Sufficient Ties determines how many days you can spend in the UK each tax year without being classed as UK resident. The staying with close relatives Accommodation tie requires you to stay with a close relative(s) for 16 nights in a tax year. Alternatively, if you have accommodation available to you for a period of 91 days and stay there just 1 night this would be classed as an Accommodation tie. This could be a property you own but you do not have to own it for it to qualify. This is a complex area and worth taking advice from an accountant/tax adviser who specialises in UK Residency etc. We have just been through this process ourselves.


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Well worth a read of this document. I read it, fell asleep 3 times in the process but very worthwhile. Or consult an advisor.

As noted before rules change and you need to keep abreast of these changes if they concern you.

Jeeze..... Just get on the frekin flight and have an extra G & T if it takes a bit longer.

21 hours ago, VBF said:

That's why I suggested to the OP to spend just over 6 months a year INSIDE the UK. (Post ID 17) So therefore if he lives, say 185 days in UK, even in a Leap year he'd only have 181 days out of UK. It's important to consider travel days as I think (and please check) that a day counts as outside UK if one is outside at midnight of that day no matter if one is in another country or en route.

Unless the rules have changed, the day you arrive and the day you depart do not count as days in UK.

I knew a guy who worked 3 days a week in UK but was non resident as this only registered as one day because he flew in from Jersey every week to work. The tax saved paid for his fuel in his plane.

21 hours ago, madusa said:

Anyone notice the Song Thiaw(bus) passengers sitting quietly in the vehicle while the whole drama was being played. I would have got off the bus and try to find other bus to continue the journey.

Is Thailand still a Buddhist country, any kind soul out there please clear my doubt for me.

It was 1980 when I first landed in Bangkok (Duang Meung) airport and I saw a guard at the airport, he was in army fatigue but he got only a bayonet on his side and a hand grenade clipped on his front left pocket. He was just standing there guarding.

I thought it was strange that he had no gun with him. So he either stab you or he throw the grenade at you if you are the terrorist or someone who is a danger to others or attempt to destroy the kingdom's property. Song Thiaw drivers carrying knives is not a surprise for me. Why are they having knives? To stab you of course If you are threatening them. Otherwise they cut fruits to eat while waiting for customers.

In 2000 I went to Laos and saw many Dad's army. ( in case anyone don't know dad's army it's the comedy show on British TV in 1970's Ragtag army.) In Laos they Carrying AK 47 but wearing plastic slippers. My friend told me not to look down on them because they were capable of defeating the French Military Academy trained soldiers. They won the war not the French.

Not to mention the AK 47 swinging from his shoulder....

This taxi driver is a pussycat compared to the Tanzanian soldiers who I saw in the Seychelles, where I lived in 1980, who supported the coup by Rene. They'd sit on the jungle roads in pitch black mugging and raping the local population when it suited them. You drive around a corner and see only the flash of teeth and the glint of metal of an AK 47 in your headlights... and pray it's not your turn.

18 hours ago, madusa said:

Your wife loves you 'mak mak' however if you leave early she gets all inheritances early.

Absolutely right, she loves the bones of me.

If I shuffle off early she's welcome to it all, she earned it. I won't bore you with the details but she's one in a million!

26 minutes ago, paddyjoe41 said:

It loooks to me that the taxi driver came out to the car driver first.regardless who is right or wrong,why did he stop the taxi in the centre of the two roads?with passengers on board,obviously this maniac should not be in charge of a PSV,and a knife in his waistband,looks as stupid as he acts,where do they get the licence from?

I agree, taxi driver was looking for an argument or why else would he block the road.

Whatever happened to that delightful 'old' tradition of Thais not being confrontational, I was told they despised farang because of this uncivilised trait.

I used to think it was bad in the Philippines, but despite many an argument with gun carrying taxi drivers I never had one pull one out on me. 

LOS - not anymore!

My wife also begs me not to escalate situations because you never know....